Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today expressed incredulity over reports that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has assigned the Presidential Management Staff, particularly its head Rigoberto Tiglao, to lead the government's efforts to create six million jobs for the next six years. This after Pres. Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 408 last March 3 which abolished the position of presidential adviser for job generation.

"Clearly, Pres. Arroyo is treating the country's massive unemployment problem lightly. Apparently, it's not serious enough for her so she's only tapping the PMS to tackle the problem, regardless how obviously ill-equipped and ill-suited the PMS is for the gargantuan task," he said. "Rigoberto Tiglao may be a man of many talents, but it's highly unlikely that he can create a million jobs a year every year for the next six years. What kind of jobs can Tiglao create using his powers and authority as PMS head? The country's unemployed need work in factories, agriculture, white-collar positions including posts in the government service."

The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker said that the country's unemployment rate has reached a whopping 11-14%, this according to government estimates. "For the first time in recent history, the government has been forced to release food coupons and acknowledge the worsening problems of hunger and extreme destitution victimizing millions of Filipinos. The continuing rise in costs of living now pegged at P704 a day contributes to the misery of the unemployed," he said.

Beltran said that Pres. Arroyo herself is single-handedly contributing to the country's jobless rates. "The executive orders she continues to churn out will inevitable result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the bureaucracy. Left and right she is abolishing government agencies and departments and downsizing employees in the name of austerity measures," he said. "This leaves the remaining employees in the already stretched-to-the-limit bureaucracy oppressed under the weight of their multi-tasking jobs," he said. #